


Many the Miles

by softryuji (routesphere)



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-23 01:35:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11979336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/routesphere/pseuds/softryuji
Summary: relationship takes a lot of time, and a lot of running





	Many the Miles

**Author's Note:**

> I thought I'm just gonna update all my canon based akiryu stuffs in Every Good Boy Does Fine, but I can't sit this idea down. This takes after taking down the first palace (I guess). 
> 
> title somehow match Many the Miles by Sara Bareilles.

Ryuji likes to go to school.

Well he wasn’t _before_ , but now he does due to a certain boy in glasses. Cheesy as it is, going to school due to a person and not a subject, he doesn’t mind. It is normal to be motivated of something because your best friend right? Akira isn’t exactly his best friend, but he has a feeling that they’ll be. Ryuji doesn’t know if being best friends mean they have to declare their best friend status or not, but he’ll look forward to it.

Ryuji involuntarily taps his feet on the classroom floor, he looks at the clock, waiting -without subtlety- for lunchtime. His homeroom teacher’s lecture pass from his left ear to his right, completely ignored. He flips his phone open.

R: what u have for lunch?

A: i don’t bring one

R: ohh? U wanna buy some bread first? Or 7-11?

A: nah i’m fine

Ryuji scrunches his face slightly, how Akira manages to not eat is beyond him. Sometimes he just drinks his Hokkaido milk, even so he shares half of it with Morgana. Luckily he has good friends like him and Ann, sharing him lunch, also caretaker like Sojiro to give him free breakfast or else Ryuji bets he doesn’t eat breakfast at all.

A: what about u?

R: just leftovers from yesterday, like usual

Inside his bag is his lunch box filled with his mum’s cooking from yesterday. That he used to bring, or if there’s no more leftovers/his mum didn’t cook, he just buy bread in the school store.

A: again. how long has it this time? Did you remember to reheat it?

R: yes i did!! forget abt me, u gotta eat dude

A: i wish

R: what

A: i meant im fine

He is so accustomed to message Akira during classes, even when the group chat is silent. Just talk about everything. A good excuse not to pay attention in class.

Ten minutes later, the school bell rings. Ryuji gets up, bento in hand, and heads out of class seconds after his teacher. Instead of the rooftop, their usual hideout including eating lunch together, he heads for the co-op. He buys two yakisoba bread, even if Akira refuses he’ll shove it to that pretty mouth of his.

When he got to the roof, Akira and Ann is already settled on the many barely-functional tables there. Morgana in the middle. There’s a convenience store plastic bag, many kinds of foods and drinks already spread out, he believes belongs to Ann, and another is a brown tote bag.

“You’re late,” Ann announces his arrival.

“Yeah, where have you been? Akira said you already bring lunch,” Morgana chimes.

“Except he hasn’t. So here’s for your skinny ass,” he places the bag of breads in front of Akira.

“My ass is perfect, thank you. Also I don’t need these. Don’t you read my message?”

“I am not letting you not eat!”

“Who said I won’t eat?”

What?

“Ryuji can you just sit the fuck down, and listen to your boyfriend,” Ann intercepts, irritation written all over her face.

Ryuji glares at the other blond before taking a seat. “He’s not my boyfriend!” he yells in denial. “So what is it, _babe_? I thought you forgot to bring lunch!” he asks teasingly, this one to the raven haired male.

“I didn’t say that. I said I don’t bring one!” Akira with a lopsided smile opens the tote bag. Ryuji mumbles an ‘ohh!’ because he never saw Akira used it before, he notices there’s a coffee symbol in the front. Probably he borrows it from Sojiro.

Akira reveals two bento boxes. Ryuji looks at it, puzzled.

“Here’s for you. I figured you have to eat proper food instead of leftovers,”

Ryuji wants to say that his mum’s leftovers are still the best, but his words caught to his tongue. Akira brings him lunch. He stares at the bento Akira offered to him, as if it’s going to disappear.

“It isn’t much, just fried rice. I want to bring you curry but I have to make sure it is safe first,” Akira grins and lets out a small laugh as if trying to hide his embarrassment.

Now Ryuji is as flustered. Akira brings him lunch, and not just a bento that you bought in convenience store, but actual home cooked lunch, and cooked by Akira himself. There feels like a lump in his throat. He might have been exaggerating. He thought only very close people bring each other lunch. He sometimes got envious of guys getting lunch from their girlfriends. Now he’s receiving one, and it’s from Akira.

“You guys are so sweet. Ryuji, you bought lunch for Akira, because you thought he didn’t eat enough. And Akira, you made lunch for Ryuji, because you thought he didn’t have proper meal,” Ann summarizes their situation, amusement in her tone.

Both the boys’ faces covered in red.

Akira is the first to recover, “Here is for you, Ann,” he gives the other bento to Ann, but she quickly declined.

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Akira. You don’t make one for me,”

“Okay you caught me. But we can share?”

“Nope, I am enough with 7-11s,” Ann points at the convenience store bag. She takes and slurps the strawberry yoghurt casually.

Ryuji can easily guess Akira making a mental note to make Ann his own lunch cooking next time. Akira is just that guy who cares too much. He shouldn’t be that surprised that he made one for him.

He was staring at Akira for a while, when he notices he stares right to Akira’s grey eyes. Without the hinder of the glasses.

“Akira, is it just me or you’re not wearing any glasses,” Ryuji trips on his words, he didn’t know how to elaborate that Akira isn’t wearing any glasses.

“What the hell, Ryuji!!” Ann exclaims, this time too loud and it hurts his ears.

“Did you just realise now?” Morgana meows loudly.

“Shut up!” Ryuji thumps his foot. It’s not his fault, he was too focused on the food. Now that everything is settled he finally has the moment to look at Akira properly.

Glasses-less Akira laughs. A hearty laugh that turns Ryuji’s embarrassment to something else. “Guys, please give him a break,” he calms down his friends before addressing him, “Yep I don’t wear one. I forgot, okay? That’s the only thing I forgot today, and not my lunch box. Took you long enough?”

“Are you alright, without it?” Ryuji asks, strangely dipped in concern.

Akira seems to notice it and smiles, “Yeah. My vision is not 10/10 but I am still okay without it,”

“Lies! He keeps pestering me during classes for the stuffs on the board,” Ann interrupts. “Gives me headache,” she presses the sides of her forehead.

“I don’t think so. Akira never pay attention to class. Let alone writing the stuffs from the board. You’re the one who lies!”

Ann makes a betrayed face at Ryuji defending Akira. “Okay I know I can’t throw you guys against each other, my bad.”

The guys snickers and give each other fist bumps.

“It’s okay! You still got me, Lady Ann!”

They continue eating their lunch. Despite Ann’s refusal, she still got the share of Akira’s fried rice. Ryuji seems about to cry eating his lunch, but Ann decided not to pry on that. Even though she teases him a lot, she cares not to humiliate him in front of his crush. She turns her attention to Akira. The guy looks as content. Like he just achieved something from making Ryuji happy with his cooking.

The absence of glasses is the first thing Ann notice that day. Ryuji didn’t notice until now baffles her but the guy always an airhead. She wasn’t lying in class, Akira keeps nudging her for notes. She happens to sit right in front of him, of course he would bother her. Without the spectacles, Akira’s appearance became less significant than any Japanese boys she saw. Though his eyelashes became much striking. That and Akira’s pale complexity, it almost looks feminine. She wonders if Ryuji notice that.

She recalls Morgana told her that Akira was too occupied preparing Ryuji’s lunch, he forgot his glasses. She teased him, though his action quite understandable. Akira would do anything for Ryuji, and vice versa. Seeing the two of them now, who would’ve thought they only met a month ago.

“Sometimes, between you guys, I feel like a third wheeler. It brings tear to my eyes. I wish Shiho was here,”

Ryuji who was telling a lame joke, and Akira who was always laughing at it, both of them stop and stare at Ann.

“For real, Ann?”

“I am sorry, Ann. Shiho will be better and be with us soon, you have to believe”

Ann almost laugh at their face sudden with concern, “I was just joking, okay!!”

“It’s alright, Lady Ann,” Morgana murmurs and curls his body around Ann.

Ann curves her lips, smiling in assurance, “Though I do wonder if Shiho’s here and eating lunch with us. She never eat with a large group of friends and I bet she’ll be happy to share her lunch,”

Akira nods, and Ryuji beams that sunny smile of his. “She’ll be damn happy!” Ryuji cries out, “We’ll look forward for it,” Akira says in his composed demeanor.

Ann smiles wider. Shiho has always been the light of her life and the reason she’s still going, but now she’s hospitalized yet still doing her best. She has to be strong for Shiho. Akira and Ryuji are here for her. They remind her of Shiho, and it’s as if Shiho has sent them to keep her in check. Despite her complaining, despite her always teasing them for being so close, she appreciates them for spending time with her, she wouldn’t trade them for anybody else.

(*********)

Ryuji is waiting for Akira near the entrance, it is around the time they go home and walk to the station together. He opens his phone, absently scrolling through the notification. Most of the interactions are with Akira. He doesn’t have a lot of social media profiles to begin with. As he reads Akira’s past messages and other ridiculous things he sent to him, his mind wanders to Akira today.

The lunch was so good, who knew Akira can cook? Maybe Sojiro taught him, or maybe that’s already his skill. He did mention a few times how he has to take care of himself back in his hometown.

Another thing that catches his attention, even though it’s late, is the absence of glasses. He knew how it affects the appearance of people that used to wear it. Some look strange without it, some look different. Akira is the latter. He wonders if Akira use the glasses to make him blend in because of the rumors surround him and his quaint record. If so, then it sucks to appear mundane when you’re an amazing person.

“Ryuji!”

That voice when it mention his name that he loves so much. He looks up from his phone. Akira is next to him, holding him in the shoulder. He is smiling, and Ryuji smiles back. Akira is close and Ryuji can appraise his features. His long eyelashes, sticking out just below his long black curls. His grey eyes with a hint of gleam that he can get lost into. All clearly without the hinder of the glasses. Ryuji’s eyes wander to other parts. Akira’s small turned-up nose. The subtle dimple of his cheeks going along with the smile of his lips. It seems easy enough to reach his face and touch it. Ryuji really wants to.

There’s a gurgle, loud enough to pierce Ryuji’s attention. Ann is standing behind Akira, a few feet apart. “Maybe I should better be going,” Ann looks apologetic. “You’re here?” Ryuji asks confused.

Akira leaves Ryuji’s side. Giving all the three of them relevant distance. “Come on, let’s all go together,”

“Sorry to ruin your moment,” with just Ryuji, Ann discards the apologetic look.

Ryuji just grunts in annoyance, but he actually doesn’t mind. He remembers what Ann said this afternoon. She might be joking but it struck him still. Making Ann uncomfortable and leaving her alone is the last thing he wants.

“You’re not going home?” Ryuji asks, once they’re in the station.

“Nah, I am gonna visit Shiho!” Ann answers with her usual -I am OK- grin.

“How’s she?”

“She’s stable but still not allowed to get off her bed,”

“Want me to come along?”

Ann looks surprised. This is the first time Ryuji asked. “You sure?”

“Well, it’s okay if you don’t want to. I am probably just gonna be a bother..”

“No! Come on! Shiho will be happy to see you!!” She interrupts quickly, and takes Ryuji in the arm.

“Good, I always want to visit Shiho,” Akira speaks for the first time.

Ann does a double take and looks disapprovingly. “You sure?”

Akira raises his eyebrows. Ann points his eye.

“Stop it! I am not blind!”

“You almost didn’t recognize Mishima in P.E today!”

Akira groans and comes up with a denial, while Ryuji laughs heartily.

“You have to look at Mishima, Ryuji. He’s so heartbroken Akira didn’t recognize him,”

They keep talking and exchanging jokes all the way to the hospital.


End file.
